Explore 20 Phone Expressions in English

Phone expressions are helpful when discussing communication and the usage of mobile devices in daily life.

Phone Expressions

  1. Hang up
    Meaning: End a phone call.
    Example: She hung up after saying goodbye.
  2. Hold the line
    Meaning: Wait on the phone.
    Example: Please hold the line; I’ll connect you.
  3. Call it a day
    Meaning: Stop working for the day.
    Example: After finishing the call, they called it a day.
  4. Pick up
    Meaning: Answer the phone.
    Example: Can you pick up the phone?
  5. Call back
    Meaning: Return someone’s phone call.
    Example: I’ll call back later with details.
  6. Give someone a buzz
    Meaning: Call someone on the phone.
    Example: I’ll give you a buzz tomorrow morning.
  7. Drop a call
    Meaning: Lose connection during a call.
    Example: The network is bad; it keeps dropping calls.
  8. Off the hook
    Meaning: Very busy with phone calls.
    Example: The customer service line is off the hook.
  9. Phone tag
    Meaning: Series of missed calls between people.
    Example: We played phone tag all day yesterday.
  10. On the line
    Meaning: Currently speaking on the phone.
    Example: She’s on the line with the manager.
  11. Call it quits
    Meaning: End something, often a relationship.
    Example: They called it quits after a long argument.
  12. Dial in
    Meaning: Join a phone meeting.
    Example: We’ll dial in at 9 AM.
  13. Speed dial
    Meaning: Quick dialing of stored numbers.
    Example: My mom’s number is on speed dial.
  14. Get through
    Meaning: Reach someone successfully by phone.
    Example: After several tries, I got through.
  15. Hang by a thread
    Meaning: In a precarious situation.
    Example: Their relationship is hanging by a thread.
  16. Ring off the hook
    Meaning: Phone ringing constantly.
    Example: His phone rang off the hook after the promotion.
  17. Call the shots
    Meaning: Be in charge, make decisions.
    Example: In our team, Sarah calls the shots.
  18. Blow up someone’s phone
    Meaning: Call or text someone excessively.
    Example: He blew up her phone with messages.
  19. Cold call
    Meaning: Unsolicited marketing call.
    Example: I received a cold call offering insurance.
  20. Prank call
    Meaning: A joke or hoax phone call.
    Example: The kids often make prank calls for fun.

phone expressions